Among the people making volatile outbursts in reaction to Trump on Monday was mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe, who threatened the withdrawal of SA minerals from the US market.
McKenzie emphasised the need for calm and caution amid escalating tensions.
“No matter how we feel about Trump and his views regarding what is happening in SA, cool heads and less ego is needed during this time. This is not play-park turf but something that can leave a lot of people unemployed and others dying if handled recklessly.
“We have the world’s highest unemployment rate. Telling your biggest trading partner to go to hell is not the way to go. Let’s encourage our leaders to meet and fix this.”
McKenzie also warned against retaliating against the US, citing the potential consequences of going against the “biggest trader”.
“Many are saying Trump has no business telling us what to do. I will argue differently. When a man pays some of your bills and feels he disagrees with certain behaviour of yours, he has a right to ask, intervene or even instruct.
“Let’s make peace with our biggest trading partner. Let us show him this narrative by some who act like patriots but are traitors are not telling the truth. White people continue to own most of the land and no one is taking the land from them. Arrogance will make us pay a heavy price.”
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‘Whenever we are faced with tragedy, Zimbabweans celebrate’: Gayton McKenzie
Sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has accused illegal foreigners of celebrating South Africa's misfortunes.
This comes amid a challenging period for South Africa marked by US President Donald Trump's threats to cut funding in response to the Expropriation Act. Trump said he was considering a cut in funding “until we find out what South Africa is doing. They are taking away land, they are confiscating land, and they are doing things that are perhaps far worse than that”.
McKenzie said on X: “Whenever South Africa is faced with a tragedy or bad news, the people celebrating are always illegal foreigners, particularly Zimbabweans.
“Your time in SA is running out fast. You hate us while staying illegally in our country.”
Among the people making volatile outbursts in reaction to Trump on Monday was mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe, who threatened the withdrawal of SA minerals from the US market.
McKenzie emphasised the need for calm and caution amid escalating tensions.
“No matter how we feel about Trump and his views regarding what is happening in SA, cool heads and less ego is needed during this time. This is not play-park turf but something that can leave a lot of people unemployed and others dying if handled recklessly.
“We have the world’s highest unemployment rate. Telling your biggest trading partner to go to hell is not the way to go. Let’s encourage our leaders to meet and fix this.”
McKenzie also warned against retaliating against the US, citing the potential consequences of going against the “biggest trader”.
“Many are saying Trump has no business telling us what to do. I will argue differently. When a man pays some of your bills and feels he disagrees with certain behaviour of yours, he has a right to ask, intervene or even instruct.
“Let’s make peace with our biggest trading partner. Let us show him this narrative by some who act like patriots but are traitors are not telling the truth. White people continue to own most of the land and no one is taking the land from them. Arrogance will make us pay a heavy price.”
TimesLIVE
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